Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan* must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by WIOA:
__________
* Sec. 102(b)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- d. Coordination with Education Officials
- 2. Information on the Formal Interagency Agreement with the State Educational Agency with Respect To:
- O. State's StrategiesDescribe the required strategies and how the agency will use these strategies to achieve its goals and priorities, support innovation and expansion activities, and overcome any barriers to accessing the VR and the Supported Employment programs (See sections 101(a)(15)(D) and (18)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act and section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)):
- O. State's Strategies
- 2. Information on the Formal Interagency Agreement with the State Educational Agency with Respect To:
- d. Coordination with Education Officials
d. 2. O. iv. The Methods to Be Used to Improve and Expand Vr Services for Students with Disabilities, Including the Coordination of Services Designed to Facilitate the Transition of Such Students from School to Postsecondary Life (including the Receipt of Vr Services, Postsecondary Education, Employment, and Pre- Employment Transition Services).
Current Narrative:
One of the key VR employment service revisions is an increase in VR-funded Discovery activities. The menu of services and activities that is available through the Discovery process has been enhanced, and may include work experience, situational assessments, job shadows, informational interviews, vocational testing, and other related activities. BRS recognizes the importance of Discovery for job seekers with disabilities, and particularly for youth or other individuals with disabilities who have little or no work history, or a history of jobs that were not quite the right ‘fit.’ Through an evaluation of the revised employment services model, implemented July, 2015, individuals receiving services through a CRP received, on average, 22.3 hours of discovery at the end of FFY 2017. VR has also increased outreach and education to transition aged youth, including development of a brief video that has been widely disbursed including posted through social media. BRS has a dedicated youth services director, as well as a youth services coordinator, who have worked to expand and improve relationships with key transition stakeholders, largely through facilitation of the VR Transition Advisory Council, engaging in one-on-one conversations, and presenting and educating various stakeholder groups about VR and pre-employment transition services. The Transition Advisory Council has been instrumental in increasing outreach and education related to transition aged youth. Specifically, collaboration with representatives from IIDC, DOE, and DWD on the council has aided in outreach to school systems, training of educators on transition, VR, and pre-ETS, and services available to transition-aged youth through DWD and other sources. In late 2017, student mentoring days were held at two separate business sites (an automotive manufacturing plant and a plastics manufacturer) in partnership with local schools, self-advocates of Indiana, and the local Work One.